(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a demountable or moveable wall having the appearance of a permanently installed, floor-to-ceiling wall, and in particular to a demountable wall that can readily assembled, wired, and disassembled using a minimal number of standard components.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Modern offices frequently require rearrangement of office space in order to address changing personnel needs and different interactions between personnel resulting from changes in the company's strategic direction. Also, many offices are in rented spaces where the management will desire to minimize the cost of significant upfitting when the office may be moved to another location. At the same time, there is a desire for an office that will be attractive both to employees and visitors.
A common way of addressing these needs is through the use of moveable, full-height partitions that can be readily rearranged into offices, workstations or cubicles. In many instances, however, greater privacy as well as improved aesthetics is desired. Therefore, the industry has also developed moveable or demountable wall systems that more closely approximate the appearance and privacy afforded by permanent floor-to-wall structures or millwork.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,955 to Ball et al. describes a wall system in which a plurality of panels or other structural rectangular frames are joined to create a wall that extends to above door height and includes a lockable door. The side edges these frames are attached to upright connecting members, and the top of the wall is covered with an enlarged cornice providing a location for wiring and lighting. The lower ends of the upright members include adjustable feet to level the wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,517 to Mitchell et al. describes a floor-to-ceiling wall system comprised of a ceiling channel attached to the ceiling, a floor channel attached to the floor and vertical studs connecting the ceiling and floor channels. The wall system also includes horizontal stringers joining the studs, and panels attached to the stud surfaces.
These and other prior art demountable wall systems, however, require considerable steps in assembly and disassembly, including the fastening together of numerous parts, as well as attachment to the ceiling and/or the floor. Moreover, the wall systems require essentially custom manufacture to fit the desired space, substantially increasing their cost and decreasing their utility when it is desired to move the wall to another location. Also, the walls often have the appearance of temporary structure instead of permanent walls. Thus, there is a continuing need for an aesthetically pleasing wall system that can be readily assembled and disassembled using a minimal number of components. There is also the need for a wall system that has the appearance of a permanent floor-to-ceiling wall without the necessity of attaching the wall to the ceiling or to the floor.